


sunshine, brown eyes, tan lines

by mullethyuck



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Banter, Baseball, Confessions, M/M, Pining, Summer, ft. a lot of headassery, yeehaw or whatever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:27:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25873576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mullethyuck/pseuds/mullethyuck
Summary: Yangyang walks over, tossing a water bottle between his hands, to snicker over Donghyuck's shoulder. "Yo Hyuck, you look a little," he squeezes the bottle, sending water spraying over Donghyuck's face,"thirsty."(Or, five times Donghyuck gets caught staring and one time he doesn't.)
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Lee Jeno, yangren crumbs
Comments: 30
Kudos: 192





	sunshine, brown eyes, tan lines

**Author's Note:**

> i am once again asking you to consider jock nohyuck, now with the added bonus of some "dreamies as grungy southern boys" agenda as a treat! a little niche perhaps but hopefully this fic will convert you
> 
> anyway this one goes out to my bff mads, who drew the adorable [art](https://twitter.com/fuckassmcpants/status/1281068747525160960?s=21) that inspired it <3 it's definitely the most self-indulgent thing i've ever written so thanks for enabling me love you bby!!
> 
> oh and the title is from a country [song](https://youtu.be/yOG3ub_ZLqE) because that's fitting lmao

01.

The humidity is going to suffocate Donghyuck before he even makes it to the bullpen.

Renjun’s too busy adjusting his leg guards to notice or care about Donghyuck’s impending fate, but Donghyuck tries not to take it personally. Renjun’s his best friend, surely he'll have something nice to say at Donghyuck’s funeral.

Unfortunately, he doesn't die before Renjun is geared up and ready to go, crouching into position and bitching at Donghyuck for taking too long to get ready, so he’s forced to suffer through the heat for another day of practice. “It’s just a warmup, for fuck’s sake, Hyuck,” Renjun yells as Donghyuck slides his sunglasses onto his face and steps up onto the mound.

Donghyuck ignores Renjun’s persistent complaining and drags a cleat against the surface of the plate, brushing some of the dirt off. “Shut up,” he calls lightly as he moves into place, and he can't hear Renjun scoff but he can practically see it, even from this distance. “What do you want today?” he asks, because there’s always something Renjun has in mind. He takes his role as catcher very seriously, and there's no one else Donghyuck would rather have as a battery mate. They've been together since little league; they're a package deal at this point.

“Your curveballs have sucked ass lately,” Renjun answers without missing a beat, and Donghyuck can't exactly argue there. They'd swept state last month, but got their asses handed to them in regionals by Texas’ powerhouse school. All four runs Donghyuck had given up were curveballs; he’d kept track, and obviously Renjun had too.

“Fine,” he says with a pop of his gum. “But we don't have long.” He glances over at the rest of the team, who are still stretching against the fence in left field.

Renjun nods. “We can work more later. I talked to Coach, he said he'll give us time after drills.” Donghyuck shoots him an absentminded thumbs up. “Now shut up and pitch me the damn ball.”

Donghyuck isn't listening, and he doesn't pitch the ball. He's too preoccupied staring off in the direction of their teammates.

This time, Renjun sighs so loudly Donghyuck really can hear it, and stands to walk over so they’re only a foot apart. “Put your heart eyes away. You're so embarrassing.”

“I am not embarrassing,” Donghyuck argues as he tears his eyes away and finally acknowledges Renjun’s existence.

Renjun rolls his eyes so hard Donghyuck worries he might pull a muscle. “You're in denial. You need an intervention, you're addicted.”

“Addicted to _what?”_ Donghyuck asks indignantly, but he's back to watching the rest of the team. Or well, that's what he's hoping it looks like.

Some part of Donghyuck is grateful that Renjun moved closer so he doesn’t have to yell the next thing that comes out of his mouth, but mostly he's too busy being wistful to care. “Addicted to Jeno, obviously, you dumbass.”

Donghyuck sighs, airy. “It's not my fault he looks like _that,_ Junnie.” He turns to face his best friend, now that the others are done stretching and running into the outfield to start practice. “He's just so -”

“Do _not_ finish that sentence,” Renjun cuts in. He's heard Donghyuck wax poetic about how beautiful and athletic and hot and perfect Jeno is nearly every day for two years now; he could probably recite the whole speech from memory if he wanted to. Not that he wants to. “I know he's the love of your life, or whatever the fuck, but we have shit to do. Coach is gonna be pissed if you skip warmup just because you’re horny.”

Donghyuck frowns at him. “I'm not horny, I -”

Renjun waves a hand in the air dismissively, cutting him off again. “You genuinely like Jeno, sure, I’ll give you that. But you also love it when he's sweaty, as you’ve told me approximately a billion times in the past week alone.” He rubs a hand down his face. “You can ogle him later, after you've pitched me a decent curveball for once.” He turns on his heel, heading back to his end of the bullpen, effectively shutting down any chance Donghyuck had to protest.

Donghyuck just blows a bubble, pouting as it pops onto his chin. At least he'll get to see Jeno up close when they run drills.

-

02.

Thursday might be Donghyuck’s favourite day of the week, because it's batting practice day. He loves the thrill of challenging his own teammates, and his competitive nature only fuels his desire to crush their spirits. It's only practice, after all, so what real consequences are there besides bragging rights?

In the case of Jeno Lee, the consequences are absolutely dire.

Donghyuck has a special sort of rivalry with Jeno. It’s more of a one-sided compulsion to be the best at everything, really; but if there’s any way to prove he’s worthy of his ace title, it’s striking out the pinch hitter. Which he has more trouble doing than he’d like to admit, actually.

But who could blame him? How is he supposed to focus on throwing a changeup (his best pitch, thank you very much) when Jeno is standing in the box looking like _that?_ His stance is relaxed, his movements are fluid, and his arms are flexed in a way that makes Donghyuck’s brain static out. He even makes the stupid batting helmet look good. It’s unreal, and unfair.

But two can play at that game. Donghyuck is known for his signature high kick; many a coach have tried to correct it, only to find that it’s where he gets his power from. Usually, Donghyuck wouldn’t pay much attention to it - it just happens, but sometimes he can use it to his advantage. It does have a tendency to throw batters off, and well, if Donghyuck exaggerates it a bit to show off his legs, then who’s gonna stop him? He knows they’re one of his best features, and he’s not above playing dirty. Besides, it does give him extra speed. Maybe Renjun will forgive him for throwing heavy on the fastballs.

It doesn’t work. Jeno hits a home run his first turn, and makes it on base every other time he’s up to bat. Donghyuck can’t even be that upset about it, because he gets to pretend to keep an eye on Jeno in case he steals a base while he’s really watching the ripple of Jeno’s thighs as he takes his lead. Renjun is impatient and yells at him to stop dicking around, but other than that, nobody seems to mind that Donghyuck is being remarkably thorough.

Until the end of practice, when they’re picking up balls in the outfield and Hendery says, “Y’know, Hyuck, you’d outpitch Jeno if you’d stop staring at his ass every time he gets up to bat. It’s ruining your aim.” He drops another ball in their bucket, glancing at Donghyuck. “Also, you stared at him for like, a solid minute every time he ran a base. If you would’ve put some of that energy toward Jisung, maybe he wouldn’t have stolen second twice in a row.”

Donghyuck punches him in the stomach to shut him up.

-

03.

All things considered, you’d think Donghyuck would be acclimated to obscene amounts of running by now. Unfortunately for Donghyuck and everyone around him, that isn’t the case, and he has a compulsive need to complain about it any chance he gets. Needless to say, base running drills provide optimal conditions for his dramatics.

He’s mid-monologue about how he probably pulled a hammy (“Hyuck, you saw how fast Jaemin went down when he tore a quad last year. He was out for a month. You’re fine.”) so he can’t possibly be expected to run around in circles for an extended period of time (“Oh my god, it’s like twenty minutes. And you don’t even have to run the whole time.”) or his leg will be irreversibly damaged (“There’s no damage to begin with.”).

Finally, Renjun’s had enough of his bellyaching and chooses to cut him off completely rather than settle for interjecting. “Maybe if you played a position where you ever moved from the plate you’d have more stamina.”

Xiaojun rolls his eyes where he’s standing in line behind them. “You’re one to talk, catcher.”

Renjun gives him a stare that would turn a lesser man to stone, but decides not to grace the jab with a response. Donghyuck, for his part, is too busy being indignant to care either way. “You make it sound like I just stand on the mound and do nothing,” he huffs at Renjun, who’s raising a taunting eyebrow, before turning to face Xiaojun. “And why are you eavesdropping? Mind your business, asswipe.”

Xiaojun laughs, because he cannot let Donghyuck know peace. “You’re loud as fuck, dude. It would be more work _not_ to hear it.” He tilts his head, like he’s considering something, and Donghyuck wants to smack that stupid smirk off his face. “Plus, if you’re so injured, shouldn’t we all know?”

Donghyuck does smack him, then; Xiaojun just rubs his arm and keeps laughing. Renjun has had enough of this conversation and fucks off to stand next to Chenle, his own personal pet project (otherwise known as his favourite underclassman, even if he vehemently denies it) and talk about god knows what with him and - oh shit.

Donghyuck’s gaze abandons Renjun the millisecond he notices who his best friend is standing next to. Here’s a hint: the power hitter of the century, a literal Adonis, the only man ever. Yeah, it’s Jeno. Donghyuck feels his pulse spike. Oh fuck, does he have heatstroke? He’s half tempted to ask Xiaojun to feel his forehead, but that would be stupid because it’s like 100 degress out so of course he would feel hot. Plus, Xiaojun is insufferable.

He only has a few rapid heartbeats to process the very existence of Jeno Lee before the object of his affections is at the plate, waiting for instructions from their coach. It’s at this moment it occurs to Donghyuck that maybe he should pay more attention to practice, but that can wait. Right now he’s too busy salivating over the way Jeno rolls the sleeves of his t-shirt up to reveal the stark tan line that wraps its way around his biceps. Also, the way he skids to a stop at first when Coach gives the signal is way more attractive than it has any reason to be.

Donghyuck watches Jeno steal second, lap the bases, and the _clack_ of his cleat on the plate as he scores a mock point mirrors the sound of Donghyuck’s dignity shattering into a million jagged pieces. Jeno does this in every game; Donghyuck should be immune by now. But, well, he’s only human.

And like any human, he needs water, especially in this godforsaken heat. So when Coach calls for a water break ten minutes (and three runs for Donghyuck) later, Donghyuck is all too willing to stand behind the foul line and wait for the water boy to bring him life-saving hydration. Jeno gets a bottle first, and if Donghyuck eyes the way his Adam’s apple bobs up and down with the motion then that is nobody’s business but his own.

Yangyang walks over, tossing a water bottle between his hands, to snicker over Donghyuck's shoulder. “Yo Hyuck, you look a little,” he squeezes the bottle, sending water spraying over Donghyuck's face, _“thirsty.”_

“Shut up, Liu,” Donghyuck quips, wiping a hand down his face. “God, you’re so annoying.” Honestly, he’s not mad; it’s hot as balls, so the water is a welcome splash of relief. He turns to find Renjun standing near home plate, shooting a half-assed, “Junnie, control your boyfriend!” and Renjun scoffs.

“Bold of you to assume he listens to me,” he says, and Donghyuck can’t really argue there. Yangyang is the unstoppable force to Renjun’s immovable object. It’s a lost cause.

Donghyuck directs his attention to more worthwhile endeavors, like watching Jeno take his hat off to brush his hair off his forehead.

-

04.

It’s Donghyuck’s turn with the aux cord in the locker room, which means Dierks Bentley’s entire discography is the soundtrack to their post-practice cooldown.

(Maybe he throws a little Florida Georgia Line in the queue, and maybe it just happens to be Jeno’s favourite. He doesn’t strain his ears to listen to Jeno singing along, not at all, that would be weird. Donghyuck is not being weird. Jeno really _does_ make him wanna roll his windows down and cruise, though. Whatever that means. Really, he’s just thinking about how good Jeno would look in the passenger side of his pickup, and -)

“Hyuck?” somebody says, tapping Donghyuck on the shoulder. Donghyuck snaps out of it, and realizes belatedly that he’s been staring off into space for the entirety of the song that’s playing over the shitty bluetooth speakers. _Space_ being directly at Jeno where he’s talking to Jaemin shirtless across the room. God, his abs. (Also, Jaemin’s shoulders. Jeno may own Donghyuck’s heart, but he still has eyes. Damn.)

Donghyuck tears his eyes away from what is definitely not going to be fuel for his wildest fantasies for the foreseeable future and follows the hand that’s now resting on his shoulder all the way up the arm it’s attached to till his eyes meet Mark’s. “Yeah?” he says, and Mark looks at him like he’s about to pull the _I’m praying for you_ card. Wouldn’t be the first time.

Then again, maybe Donghyuck needs it, because the next second Mark is opening his mouth and saying, “Are you jealous of Jeno and Jaemin?” and Donghyuck thinks he might drop dead on the spot.

 _“What?”_ he chokes out, because it’s not like he hides his sexuality but he also isn’t too keen on advertising the fact that he’s madly in love with their first baseman. Mostly because there is no way said first baseman returns his feelings and Donghyuck simply does not have the constitution to handle that kind of mortification.

Mark lets his hand slide off of Donghyuck’s shoulder, sitting down on the nearest bench to untie his cleats. “I said, are you jealous of Jeno and Jaemin?”

“Thank you, Mark. Repeating the same exact words you just said clears everything up,” Donghyuck snarks back. Mark just smiles at him, because Mark is an angel.

“Well?” he asks, perfectly curved eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. “Are you?”

Donghyuck frowns. “Am I what?”

“Jealous,” Mark says, ever so patient. It’s almost infuriating, how nice he is all the time. Honestly, that’s most of the reason Donghyuck annoys him so much; he’s determined to find Mark Lee’s limit.

“Of Jaemin?” Donghyuck clarifies.

Mark nods, tossing his cleats into his bag. “Yeah, and Jeno.” The words are muffled by his shirt as he pulls it over his head.

Donghyuck looks back over at them, eyebrow cocked, a pensive finger under his chin. “I mean, not really? I guess I could be. Jaemin’s tall, and Jeno’s solid, and they both have way better abs than me...not that I want abs, but muscle mass would definitely help with -”

“No,” Mark cuts in before Donghyuck can start rambling and say anything too incriminating. “I meant, like, are you jealous of them together?”

Donghyuck’s entire worldview is demolished with that one sentence. He feels his mouth go dry, and something in his chest compresses his ribs. “They’re _together?”_ He tries not to sound too affected, but really, who is he kidding.

Mark looks at him like he’s finally lost it. Maybe he has. “Well, I mean, they’ve been together since tee ball. I guess you’ve been with Renjun for a long time, but, I dunno. They’re just really close, and it shows on the field, y’know?” He shrugs, nonchalant, like this conversation isn’t giving Donghyuck whiplash. Of course Mark, ever the model of a perfect captain, is talking about team bonding. He has no concept of implications whatsoever, apparently. “But for what it’s worth, you and Renjun have the best chemistry I’ve ever seen in a battery, and -”

Donghyuck actively tunes him out after that. He just watches Jeno slide on his ratty old shirt with the sleeves cut off, turn his hat backwards, slip on his sunglasses and toss his bag over his shoulder. Donghyuck’s brain fizzles out.

-

05.

Here is Donghyuck’s current dilemma:

First, it’s especially humid today, and his skin is sticky with it; he can feel the long hair on the nape of his neck curling under his hat. Second, Coach has decided today is the opportune time for sliding practice. Which would be fine, except between the humidity and the sweat, the dirt is quite literally turning to sludge on Donghyuck’s damp skin and it’s absolutely awful.

Also, there’s the fact that he’s right in front of Jeno in the lineup, which means that Donghyuck gets to watch him slide across home plate from less than a foot away every single round. That in and of itself is not the problem, even if it is making it harder to breathe than the moisture in the air already is. The _problem_ is the fact that Jaemin is before Donghyuck in line, which means he can’t openly stare at Jeno like he wants to.

Obviously, that doesn’t stop him from noticing the way Jeno’s thighs flex when he tucks his leg just before diving, or how his right pant leg is riding up a bit from a particularly hard slide, showing off the bottom of his calf (until he fixes it, which is a travesty of epic proportions). And Jaemin is a perceptive little shit, because he cares about people and pays attention to them, and normally Donghyuck thinks it’s sweet. Right now, he wishes Jaemin would just piss off so he could wallow in his unrequited love in peace.

But Jaemin just elbows him in the ribs, that snarky smile that shows off his canines on full display. “He’s looking good, yeah?” he asks as Jeno nearly takes Renjun out with the force of his slide. Renjun cusses at him, and Jeno grins, the picture of innocence.

“Yeah, he is,” Donghyuck says, because Jeno’s form is impeccable as always. “He could get scouted.” They’ve all been looking at colleges; some of them will play, but few of them will get scholarships for it. Jeno is one of the lucky ones.

Jaemin gives him the side eye. “Not what I meant.”

Donghyuck meets his gaze, resisting the urge to roll his eyes right out of his skull. “Then what did you mean, Jaem? Surely you’re not talking about his uniform. I’m pretty sure he hasn’t washed it in like, three days.” Donghyuck can see a grass stain from Tuesday’s ground ball drills; he knows, because he watched it form right before his eyes. Not that he was paying close attention to Jeno’s ass, or anything. He was just monitoring his technique.

Jaemin laughs, and it rumbles deep in his chest. It would be charming, if Donghyuck’s guard wasn’t up. “Nah, it’s been longer than that.” His eyes are on Jeno now, but Donghyuck still feels weirdly like Jaemin is looking right through him. “Shouldn’t you know that?”

Donghyuck feels his brow furrow. He wipes the sweat from his upper lip with the back of his hand. “Why would I know that? It’s gross that _you_ know that.”

Jaemin levels him with an unimpressed look. “I’m not the one undressing him with my eyes, dude.”

Donghyuck nearly chokes on the (admittedly thick and borderline syrupy) air. Jesus, this weather is going to kill him, if Jaemin doesn’t first. “I am _not_ undressing him with my eyes. What the fuck?” Smooth, Donghyuck. Very convincing.

Jaemin is not convinced. “You can lie to everyone else, but not to me.” He snorts. “You practically popped a boner last week when he caught that pop fly.” Donghyuck opens his mouth to protest, but Jaemin doesn’t give him the chance. “Look, I’m his best friend. If you hurt him, I’ll kick your ass.” He smiles when he says it, which makes it somehow worse. Donghyuck’s pretty sure Jaemin has a cousin who does taxidermy. They’d never find his body.

Donghyuck looks at Jaemin like he’s finally lost it. “How could I hurt him? It’s not like he knows.” Horror washes over Donghyuck’s face as realization dawns on him. He grabs Jaemin by the biceps, shaking him lightly in his panic. “Holy shit, does he know?”

Jaemin is unfazed by all the jostling, though he does look slightly miffed. “No, he doesn’t. But I think that might change soon,” he says cryptically, and Donghyuck wants to punt him across the field.

He really hopes Jaemin doesn’t say anything about his crush. He’ll die if Jeno ever finds out.

-

+01.

Raking the field is arguably one of the worst forms of torture Donghyuck has ever been forced to endure.

It wouldn’t be that bad if it wasn’t approximately one billion degrees outside, and the dirt wasn’t clumpy from the humidity, and Donghyuck’s arm wasn’t sore from the amount of curveballs he threw for extra practice (he’s getting more consistent though, so that counts for something, probably). But Donghyuck can’t get off that easy, apparently. At least he has Renjun to help him, since being lifelong battery mates makes you ride or die by default. At the moment, it’s looking like they’re both going to die.

Renjun seems to share his sentiment - a rare occurrence - but for very different reasons. “Pick up the pace, Hyuck! I told Yangie I’d hurry so we can play Red Dead before his mom gets home.”

Donghyuck just rolls his eyes and keeps his pace consistent. “Do you want my arms to fall off, you ass? I pitched you like, 800 balls today!”

Renjun is not swayed by his lamentations. “Don’t be dramatic, we only stayed an extra ten minutes.” He whacks at a chunk of dirt with more aggression than is strictly necessary. “Also, only your right arm will fall off. That’s the arm you throw with.”

“Like that makes it better,” Donghyuck grumbles under his breath, but he keeps working. They’re over halfway done now, so at least it won’t be too much longer till he’s put out of his misery. They shut up and focus on their work, because it’s not worth expending the extra energy to make conversation, especially when it would just be Renjun bitching about missing his boyfriend even though he literally just saw him like, fifteen minutes ago. And Donghyuck loves Yangyang (when he isn't being an instigating little shit), but he can only hear Renjun ramble about him for so long before he wants to punch something.

They're raking opposite sides of the field now, working their way to meet in the middle, when Renjun suddenly stops in his tracks, distracted by something over Donghyuck’s shoulder. He drops his rake, abandoning it to walk past Donghyuck toward the dugout. Donghyuck would be pissed, or question what he's doing, but he figures Renjun’s just going to get some water or a towel or whatever. Renjun’s irritating sometimes, and he might complain about his responsibilities, but he doesn't _ditch._

Except maybe he does, because the person who passes by Donghyuck and picks the rake back up is decidedly not Renjun. They're way too broad, too tall, too quiet, too - wait. Donghyuck lifts his gaze to watch his new companion get to work, and his breath hitches in his throat. He would know those arms anywhere.

“Jeno?” he says without thinking, because he’s with Jeno nearly every day, but never alone. It's foreign - and slightly terrifying - territory.

“Hey, Hyuckie,” Jeno says, and he gives Donghyuck one of his famous eye smiles that could melt ice, it’s so warm.

It’s too bright outside for Jeno to be smiling like that. Donghyuck is going to go blind any second now, and then he’s going to sue. “Oh, hey.” He doesn't have the capacity to say anything else at the moment. Jeno doesn't respond, because there isn't any reason to, so they just continue their work with nothing but the scrape of the rakes as background noise. It doesn’t take much longer, anyway. Donghyuck isn’t sure if he’s relieved or not.

They put the rakes away, grab their stuff, and head to the locker room. Everyone else is already changed and making their way to the parking lot by now, so they have the room to themselves. Jeno takes his shirt off when he’s barely crossed the threshold, and Donghyuck makes it a point not to look. It’s a lot harder to hide his infatuation when it’s just the two of them.

Jeno won’t let him get away with it. Just as Donghyuck’s throwing his shirt into his bag, Jeno walks over, half changed. “Hey, Hyuck?” Jeno’s always been more on the reserved side, but why does he sound almost nervous?

“What’s up, Jen?” Donghyuck asks, because he would rather get this conversation over quickly. He would love to put a shirt on, first of all, but also being in close proximity to Jeno for so long is kind of making him lightheaded. Or, you know, maybe it’s heatstroke.

“So, I talked to Jaem the other day,” he starts, and Donghyuck furrows his brow. Jeno and Jaemin are best friends, so it makes sense they’d talk every day. He doesn’t get why Jeno’s telling him this, or why he feels now is the ideal moment to do so.

“Right,” Donghyuck says, a little flatly. He cocks an eyebrow and resists the urge to cross his arms over his body when Jeno takes a step forward. “And?”

“And he said something interesting,” Jeno says, and Donghyuck wonders if the ambiguity is a byproduct of being in Jaemin’s orbit for over a decade.

“Jaemin?” Donghyuck asks, and now he’s nervous, too. “What did he say?” He gets this sudden, sinking feeling, like his stomach is made of lead. If the concrete beneath his cleats could crack open and swallow him up, that would be amazing, thanks.

“He said you’re always watching me at practice. Like, checking me out.” Well, at least Jeno has the decency to be blunt about it.

This is it. Forget heatstroke, forget running drills, forget Renjun’s short temper. _This_ is how Donghyuck actually dies: at the hands of Jeno Lee, who is standing in the middle of the locker room holding Donghyuck’s frantic heart in his hands. The whir of the box fan will be the last thing he ever hears this side of paradise. It’s so anticlimactic, what a tragedy. “Oh did he?” Donghyuck really does cross his arms now, in a last ditch effort at self defense.

Jeno’s face is unreadable, like he’s trying to decipher what Donghyuck is thinking, too. “Yeah.” He steps closer again, and his eyes flicker down to Donghyuck’s collarbones. He licks his lips before looking up to meet Donghyuck’s eyes. “Was he right?”

And this is what Donghyuck wanted; this is his out. Plausible deniability. He could say some shit like, “You know Jaemin’s just being dramatic,” or, “I was just checking your form,” or even, if he gets really desperate, “Actually, I was looking at the person next to you, sorry.” He doesn’t say any of that, though.

What comes out of his mouth is: “Yeah. Took you long enough to notice.” He kind of wants to kick himself, but once the words are out, there’s no taking them back. He might as well own it.

It’s worth it, anyway, when Jeno’s face lights up and he lets out a chuckle that could achieve world peace with its sweetness. “Hey, that’s not fair. You never noticed me staring back, either.”

Donghyuck’s brain is actually, physically, unable to process the words that just came out of Jeno’s mouth. “Huh?” he says intelligently, because clearly he’s dead set on sabotaging any microscopic chance he had of Jeno liking him back.

Jeno shakes his head, but the smile on his face looks endeared. “I said, I’ve been watching you, too,” he reiterates, ever so straightforward. “Have been since freshman year, actually.” One corner of his mouth tilts higher than the other, and Donghyuck is having an existential crisis.

“Wait.” He holds a hand out, and they’re so close it almost touches Jeno’s chest. He resists the urge to press it against Jeno’s pec. “You were checking _me_ out?”

“Well, yeah. You’re hot.” Jeno makes it seem so easy to say.

Then again, maybe it is. “You are too, what the fuck?” Nice, Donghyuck. Nailed it.

Jeno is laughing again, and Donghyuck can’t tell if he’s laughing at him or what he said, so he just stands there and internally panics. God, his face is probably on fire. “See, that’s what I like about you,” Jeno says after a literal eternity. “You’re funny, and you don’t give a shit what anybody thinks. Wish I could be more like that.”

Donghyuck rolls his eyes fondly, and finally remembers to drop his hand from where it’s been suspended midair. Maybe his brain is rebooting, after all. “You don’t have to care what people think. Literally everybody is in love with you, dumbass.” Well, maybe not.

Jeno visibly perks up at that, stepping forward into the space that Donghyuck’s hand occupied just a moment ago, and Donghyuck knows he’s fucked. “Are _you_ in love with me?”

“I mean,” Donghyuck says truthfully, “I’ve had a massive crush on you for like, two years, so maybe I could be.” No point denying it now. Grab life by the horns, and all that shit.

“Wanna go on a date with me this weekend and find out?” are not the words Donghyuck is expecting Jeno to say next, or in his entire lifetime. It’s disorienting and he may or may not be resisting the urge to pinch himself right now. Or just to melt into oblivion and blame it on the Louisiana heat.

Donghyuck somehow manages not to pass away, so he would like to take a moment to thank God or the universe or whoever is out there listening for this absolute miracle, this dream come true. He kind of wants to jump into Jeno’s arms and weep, but what he actually does is grin like a total idiot and say, “Yeah, sure.”

Jeno smiles too, pulling on his favourite John Deere hat, flattening his bangs into his eyes, which have turned into tiny moons. Fuck Donghyuck’s life, honestly. “Cool. See you then,” is all he says as he grabs his bag and walks toward the door.

As he passes by where Donghyuck has his foot propped up on the bench to untie his cleat, Jeno slaps Donghyuck’s ass and giggles as he walks away. “Nice job today, by the way. Your curveball is looking a lot better.”

Maybe Donghyuck owes Renjun a thank you for all that extra practice.

**Author's Note:**

> for their first date they go mudding on jeno's four wheeler and then night fish at the lake for like an hour before they get bored because the fish aren't biting and it turns into a night swim instead <3 jeno kisses hyuck on his front porch when he takes him home and it kind of tastes like a tackle shop and hyuck's mom is yelling at them not to let their wet t-shirts drip all over the place but the lightning bugs are twinkling like little stars around them and it's beautiful and perfect and grossly romantic
> 
> ANYWAY follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/mullethyuck) if you are also passionate about jock nohyuck!! please i am begging,, or nohyuck in general tbh i need more of them in my life <3
> 
> also @ yangren nation i actually have an idea for a spin-off so lmk if y'all want that :D


End file.
